A/N: I edited chapter 2 as well, so if you're confused read that first dw this is probably(hopefully) going be the last time i do this.
The sun was just beginning to rise when the coastline of Syrup Village appeared on the horizon. Ban stood at the front of Luffy's small boat, watching the peaceful island grow closer. Behind them, Nami's vessel followed at a steady pace.
"Finally!" Luffy stretched his arms overhead, his limbs extending far beyond what should be possible. "I'm starving! Think they have good food here?"
"It's a village, not a restaurant," Zoro said, though he was also scanning the approaching island with interest. "But they should have supplies."
Ban's eyes narrowed as he studied the coastline. Something felt off.
"Ban, you okay?" Luffy asked, noticing his expression.
"Yeah, just thinking." Ban turned to look at the rubber-powered kid. "You ever get the feeling things are about to get interesting?"
"All the time!" Luffy grinned. "That's the best part of being a pirate!"
As they pulled into the harbor, Ban took stock of their surroundings. The docks were modest but well-maintained. A few fishing boats bobbed in the water, and early-rising villagers were beginning their daily routines. On a hill overlooking the village, a large mansion stood out against the morning sky.
"Rich people," Ban observed, nodding toward the mansion. "Where there's money, there's usually trouble."
"Or treasure," Zoro added with a slight smirk.
They docked their boats, and Nami joined them on the pier, already consulting her map. "According to this, Syrup Village is known for being peaceful and prosperous. There's a wealthy family that lives in that mansion, the girl who owns it is supposedly sick."
"Sick how?" Ban asked.
"Does it matter?" Nami replied. "We're just here to resupply and move on, right?"
Before anyone could answer, a loud voice echoed from somewhere in the village.
"PIRATES! PIRATES ARE ATTACKING! EVERYONE RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
The four of them turned to see a young man with an incredibly long nose running through the streets, waving his arms frantically. He wore overalls and had a slingshot attached to his belt. Behind him... nobody. No pirates, no attackers, nothing.
"Uh," Luffy said. "Where are the pirates?"
The long-nosed young man ran right past them, still shouting warnings, then stopped abruptly when he realized people were staring at him with annoyed expressions rather than panic.
"Usopp," an older villager sighed. "Not again."
"It's too early for your lies," another added.
The young man, Usopp, laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Ahaha! Just kidding! Just my daily morning exercise! Gotta keep everyone on their toes, you know!"
"He does this every day?" Nami asked incredulously.
"The boy's a chronic liar," the first villager explained.
Usopp, having noticed the newcomers, approached with exaggerated confidence. "Well, well! New faces in my village! I am the great Captain Usopp, leader of the Usopp Pirates, with over 8,000 followers! We defend this island from all threats!"
"Eight thousand?" Zoro said skeptically. "This village doesn't even have a thousand people."
"Uh... I meant including my followers on other islands!" Usopp backpedaled quickly. "They're just... not here right now!"
Ban couldn't help but laugh. "You're a terrible liar, long-nose. But entertaining." He stepped forward, extending his hand. "Ban. And these are Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. We're pirates."
Usopp's face went pale. "P-pirates?! Real pirates?! I was just kidding about the attack, please don't hurt anyone!"
"Relax," Nami said. "We're just here for supplies. We're not attacking anyone."
"Although," Luffy added thoughtfully, "if there were some bad guys here, we'd probably fight them. That's always fun!"
"There are no bad guys here!" Usopp said quickly. "This is a completely peaceful village! Nothing interesting ever happens! You should leave! Right now! Immediately!"
The way Usopp's eyes darted toward the mansion on the hill as he said this made Ban's instincts flare up again.
"You're lying," Ban said flatly. "And not just your usual tall tales. Something's actually wrong here, isn't it?"
"What? No! Everything's fine! Perfect! Couldn't be better!"
"He's definitely lying," Zoro observed. "Bad at it, too."
[Meanwhile - Mansion on the Hill]
Klahadore, the refined butler of the Kaya mansion, adjusted his glasses with the heel of his palm, a distinctive gesture he'd cultivated over three years. To the world, he was the loyal servant of the late Captain Kaya's family, now caring for the sickly heiress.
In reality, he was Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, a man with a former bounty of sixteen million Berries who'd faked his death three years ago to escape the constant Marine pursuit.
"Merry," Kuro said to the old caretaker. "How is Miss Kaya this morning?"
"Still weak, Master Klahadore," Merry replied sadly. "She barely touched her breakfast. The poor girl has been so ill since her parents passed."
"Most unfortunate," Kuro said, though his eyes behind those glasses were cold and calculating. Three years of playing servant. Three years of careful planning. Tomorrow, the Black Cat Pirates would arrive. Kaya would die in the "pirate attack," her will, which he'd already forged, would leave everything to him, and he'd finally be free with more wealth than he could spend.
Just one more day.
"Master Klahadore," a maid interrupted. "There are strangers in the village. Pirates, according to the rumors."
Kuro's hand went to his glasses, adjusting them with his palm. "Pirates? How many?"
"Four of them, from what I've heard. They arrived this morning."
Four pirates. Kuro considered this. They could complicate things, but only if they stayed. He'd need to investigate, ensure they didn't interfere with his plans.
"I'll look into it," Kuro said smoothly. "We can't have pirates threatening Miss Kaya's peace."
[Village - Usopp's "Secret" Spot]
After much prodding (and Ban threatening to follow Usopp around until he talked), the long-nosed young man had led them to a secluded spot near the beach. Three young boys were waiting there, Usopp's actual "crew," as it turned out.
"Captain Usopp!" the boys chorused. "Who are they?"
"These are... uh... visiting pirates," Usopp said nervously. "But don't worry! I, the great Captain Usopp, will protect you!"
"Cut the crap," Ban said, though not unkindly. "You're hiding something. Something about that mansion. Talk."
Usopp looked torn, his eyes darting between the four pirates and his young crew. Finally, he sighed.
"Okay, fine. But you can't tell anyone, and you have to promise not to cause trouble."
"No promises on the second part," Luffy said cheerfully. "But we'll listen!"
Usopp took a deep breath. "There's a girl named Kaya who lives in the mansion. She's been sick for a year, ever since her parents died. She's really nice, she's my friend. Her butler, Klahadore, he... he doesn't like me. Says I'm a bad influence because I tell lies."
"So far this all sounds pretty normal," Nami said.
"I'm getting to it!" Usopp protested. "Look, I know I lie a lot. I know people don't believe me. But..." He hesitated. "There's something wrong with Klahadore. The way he looks at Kaya sometimes, when he thinks no one's watching. It's not how a butler should look at his employer."
"You think he's planning something?" Ban asked.
"I don't know! Maybe I'm just being paranoid! But yeah, something feels off." Usopp looked at his feet. "But I can't prove anything, and no one would believe me anyway. I'm just the liar boy who cries pirate."
"We believe you," Luffy said simply.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What?" Luffy continued. "He's obviously telling the truth this time. I can tell."
"You can tell?" Nami asked skeptically.
"Yeah! He's got a different face when he's lying for fun and when he's serious." Luffy nodded confidently. "Right now he's serious."
Ban studied Usopp and had to admit Luffy had a point. The nervousness, the way he kept glancing toward the mansion, the genuine concern in his voice when talking about Kaya, this wasn't the behavior of someone making up stories for attention.
"Alright," Ban said. "Let's say you're right. What are we supposed to do about it?"
"Nothing!" Usopp said quickly. "I'm just... I'm keeping an eye on things. If something happens, I'll protect Kaya myself!"
"By yourself?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Against a potential threat you can't even identify?"
"I'm a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp declared, puffing out his chest. "I've fought thousands of pirates! Millions! I once defeated a sea king with just my slingshot!"
"And we're back to the lying," Ban said with a chuckle. "Alright, long-nose. We'll keep an ear out while we're here. If something does happen, we'll help."
"Really?" Usopp looked genuinely surprised. "But you just met me. And I'm... I'm just some liar from a nowhere village."
"Yeah, but you care about your friend," Luffy said. "That makes you a good person! Plus, if there ARE bad guys, I want to punch them!"
"Luffy's got a simple worldview," Nami explained. "Good people get helped, bad people get punched. That's basically it."
Ban looked at the straw-hat wearing kid and felt that pull again. That draw toward companionship, toward being part of something. Luffy had this quality—this magnetic presence that made you want to follow him, to be near him, to help him achieve his impossible dreams.
It was dangerous. Ban had learned the hard way not to get attached.
But for now, they were already here. May as well see how things played out.
"So," Ban said. "What's the plan? We just wait around and hope your butler does something obviously evil?"
"I... don't really have a plan," Usopp admitted. "I've just been watching the mansion and trying to spend time with Kaya when I can. Klahadore hates it, which honestly makes me want to do it more."
"Petty," Zoro observed. "I can respect that."
"How about we go meet this Kaya?" Luffy suggested. "If she's your friend, I want to meet her too!"
"You can't just walk up to a mansion!" Usopp protested. "Security, decorum, proper visiting hours—"
"Why not?" Luffy asked innocently.
Usopp opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "You know what? Fair point. Okay, but let me do the talking! And try not to look too much like pirates!"
"We are pirates," Nami pointed out.
"Then try not to look like SCARY pirates!"
As the group headed toward the mansion—Usopp leading the way while simultaneously questioning every decision that had led to this moment—Ban found himself smiling. This was either going to be a complete waste of time, or it was going to be interesting.
Given his luck, probably the latter.
And given Luffy's presence, almost definitely involving someone getting punched.
[POV: Kaya]
Kaya sat in her room, staring out the window at the village below. She felt weak today, as she did most days since her parents died. The doctors said it was grief manifesting as physical illness. Klahadore said she just needed rest and time.
But deep down, Kaya wondered if she'd ever feel healthy again.
A commotion outside caught her attention. Voices—young voices—and one of them was...
"Usopp," she whispered, a small smile forming on her pale face.
Usopp told the most ridiculous lies, everyone in the village knew that. But he was also kind, and funny, and his stories made her forget about being sick for a little while. Klahadore disapproved of their friendship, said Usopp was a bad influence.
But Klahadore disapproved of everything that made her happy lately.
She moved to the window, looking down to see Usopp approaching with four strangers. They looked... rough. Like adventurers, or maybe—
Pirates?
Kaya's eyes widened. Had Usopp actually brought real pirates to her home? That was bold, even for him.
She should probably tell Klahadore. He'd want to know about strangers approaching the mansion.
But something made her hesitate. Maybe it was the way Usopp was gesturing animatedly, clearly telling some elaborate story. Maybe it was the laughter she could hear even from her window.
Or maybe it was just the realization that this was the most interesting thing to happen in months.
Kaya decided not to call Klahadore just yet.
She wanted to see how this played out.
[POV: Kuro/Klahadore]
Kuro watched from a hidden vantage point as the four pirates approached his mansion with that fool Usopp. He recognized the type immediately—young, cocky, probably weak by Grand Line standards but potentially troublesome for his plans.
The white-haired one moved differently from the others. Confident, experienced, dangerous. Kuro's instincts as a former captain told him that one would be a problem if confronted.
The boy in the straw hat seemed carefree, almost stupid. But Kuro had learned not to judge by appearances.
The swordsman carried three swords and had the bearing of someone who knew how to use them.
The woman seemed the most normal, though she carried herself like someone used to trouble.
"Four pirates," Kuro muttered. "One day before my plan comes to fruition. How... inconvenient."
He adjusted his glasses with his palm, thinking. He could attack them now, drive them away from the mansion. But that might draw attention, might make people suspicious.
Better to observe. Let them think everything was normal. His crew would arrive tomorrow as planned, and if these four interfered...
Well, the Black Cat Pirates could handle four rookies.
Kuro smiled coldly and retreated into the mansion. Tomorrow, everything would finally be his.
Just one more day.
Powerstone goal- 50 stone equals one bonus chapter. 100 stone equal 2 bonus chapter